Mamma Lucia’s Pizzeria
433 Wood St., Downtown. mammaluciapittsburgh.comLocated downtown right outside Market Square, Mamma Lucia’s is a small pizzeria that also sells calzones, hoagies, and more. You can buy a whole pizza or get it by the slice, which is what I did here at least once a week my freshman year of college.
Badamo’s Pizza
1106 Federal St., North Side and 656 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon. badamospizza.comThose living in the North Side and Mt. Lebanon know the magic that is Badamo’s Pizza. When the business opened its Federal Street location in 2018, it was greeted with “a line out the door.” With a simple menu offering whole pizza pies or “by the cut” as well as hoagies, Badamo’s shows that simple is sometimes better.
Iron Born Pizza
1806 Smallman St., Strip District and 413 Grant Ave., Millvale. ironbornpizza.comIron Born, which has locations in Millvale and the Strip District, sells thick, doughy Detroit-style pizza. The crispy crust with all of the toppings they offer is different from other types of pizza we usually see in Pittsburgh, and it’s so good. Pro tip: the Mike’s Hot Honey add-on is the best.
Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room
139 Seventh St., Downtown. properpittsburgh.comIf you’re looking for wood-fired pizza, Proper Brick Oven Downtown is the place to go. They have classics like Margherita, and more creative pizzas such as the Black & Gold, which has crispy Yukon Gold potato slices with a roasted garlic sauce.
Genoa Pizza & Bar
111 Market St., Downtown. genoapizza.comAnother Downtown college student favorite, Genoa’s is a pizza place with a huge menu. Any type of pizza you could want, Genoa’s has. The study that named Pittsburgh as the No. 2 city for pizza mentioned “Pittsburgh style” pizza as a vessel for cheese, and Genoa’s fits this description to a T.